Wednesday, July 6, 2011

An 18-year-old student cut his ex-girlfriend's throat, strangled her with a bungee chord and dumped her body in a marsh, according to authorities.

Nathaniel Fujita, 18, from Wayland, Massachusetts, has been charged with the murder of Lauren Astley who he recently broke up with after a three-year relationship.

In what prosecutors believe was an act of teenage domestic violence, Fujita - who is the son of a Berklee College of Music professor - was arrested after a search of his family's home found blood in the garage and his clothing - which was stained with blood - stashed in the attic.

He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said: 'We do believe this to be a case of teen dating violence. Lauren broke off the relationship…It’s a classic fatal paradigm that we see around teen dating relationships.'

According to Boston.com, Fujita remained on friendly terms with Lauren in the weeks after the relationship ended and they say it is not clear what would have prompted him to attack her.

A court heard today that Lauren had a 'gaping incision to her neck and her body was bound with at least one bungee cord, which was around her neck'.

Middlesex Assistant District McGovern said that through interviews, phone records and an examination of the Fujita family home, investigators pieced together a strong case linking the 18-year-old to the slaying.

Fujita admitted that his ex-girlfriend came to his home but insisted she was alive when she left. Read More